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William James Stuart Gore (1894-1981) in first world war uniform, 1917. The Gore family were early residents of Windale.
Photo Ref: 4896
WILLIAM JAMES STUART GORE 1894-1981 William was born in Sydney in 1894 to William Stuart and Emily Gore. Emily was the sister of Vere James Winn who later married Emily Ada. The family moved to Teralba and in 1914 William enlisted in the Army for the 1st World War. He paid four shillings and sixpence (45c) for train fares from Teralba to Maitland to join the 34th battalion. After seeing active service in France he returned home. He went to live on his uncle's farm and fell in love with Lillian May. In the early 1920's they married and had a son, Allan. Just after they were married, William and Lillian planted a coral tree in front of the old farmhouse and that very same tree still stands today between the Community Health Centre and kindergarten. William obtained employment on the waterfront in Newcastle as a tally clerk and remained as such until his retirement in the mid 1950's. Just after his arrival in Windale around 1920 he decided to explore the surrounding bushland. On the banks of Scrubby Creek he found the remains of the cattle duffers camp and tanning pits. The stolen cattle were taken to Scrubby Creek where they were slaughtered, washed in the creek, and hung from convenient trees until they could be shipped out of the area. He also recalled that he found an iron ball and length of chain, one handcuff and the barrel of a muzzle loading pistol. It is to be presumed that the area was also a haven for runaway convicts. After his retirement he helped his wife in the running of the Post Office and often delivered telegrams on an old motorised bicycle that always seemed to have difficulty in climbing up hills. Around 1939-1940 the farmhouse was connected to electricity and the power came via a line of power poles from the highway. The Gores had to pay for the complete installation and it was a costly venture. Around the same time, several large artillery guns were sited around Windale and were manned from the army camp at Gateshead which housed 900 soldiers. The guns were aimed towards Redhead Beach and were intended to repel any invasion during World War II. The threat of invasion was real because the Japanese had actually shelled the B.H.P. from a submarine lying off the coast from Newcastle. In 1966 William sold the last three acres of the old Winn Estate and retired to live in Valentine. In 1977 he went into an aged persons home at Carey Bay and remained there until his death in April, 1981 aged 87 years. Source: Saxby, Max The history of Windale: a surprise township, 1990.
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